Number: 2014-07
WHEREAS, tropical rainforests cover only about 5% of the land area of the Earth and yet harbor more species of wildlife and plants than any other terrestrial ecosystem; and
WHEREAS, tropical forests are a source of products that are important to us right now, such as vitamin rich fruits, Brazil nuts and natural rubber; and in addition tropical forests still harbor many unidentified species of plants and animals, which may lead to valuable medicines and other products in the future; and
WHEREAS, large expanses of healthy forests help to maintain regional rainfall patterns and to stabilize river flows, as well as to safeguard soils from erosion, and also act as a carbon sink, sequestering greenhouse gas emissions and increasing natural carbon stocks in the process; and
WHEREAS, deforestation and forest degradation around the world continue to threaten wildlife and their habitat, driving endangered species towards extinction, many before they are even identified and their potential uses discovered; and
WHEREAS, deforestation is a significant driver of global climate change, accounting for more than 10% of global greenhouse gas emissions according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change; and
WHEREAS, industrial-scale agriculture, in particular for production of commodities like cattle, palm oil and soy, is a major driver of tropical deforestation in many developing countries, as large areas of forest are cleared for cropland and pasture; and
WHEREAS, much of this production is for export, as demand by US consumers and other wealthy nations for these commodities, both in their raw form and as ingredients in consumer goods, adds to the pressure to clear forests to expand agricultural production; and
WHEREAS, very little information is available about the forest or carbon “footprints” of the vast majority of imported goods, and even the importers or retailers claim to have little knowledge of whether the commodities in their supply chains come from recently cleared forest lands; and
WHEREAS, many of the world’s most prominent brands, including manufacturers, traders, retailers and banks, as well as public lending agencies that bankroll this production are headquartered in the United States or have major operations here; and
WHEREAS, a variety of initiatives have been developed over the last twenty years to confront this situation, including voluntary standards for “green certification” such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB); and many members of the Consumer Goods Forum, (an association of 400 major brands) have pledged to eliminate deforestation from their palm, soy, cattle and wood supply chains by 2020; and
WHEREAS, National Wildlife Federation has a long history of support, active participation and leadership roles within these initiatives, working collaboratively to achieve solutions for “zero deforestation” supply chains;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation, at its annual meeting assembled May 1-3, 2014 in Baltimore, Maryland, hereby supports collaborative efforts by public interest groups and the private sector, to promote “green marketing” of agricultural commodities and products that avoid deforestation and its impacts on wildlife; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation urges corporations sourcing agricultural products internationally, and banks that finance agricultural expansion, to adopt and implement “zero deforestation” policies to protect wildlife; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the National Wildlife Federation supports the mission of the Tropical Forest Alliance 2020 (TFA2020), an alliance of governments, corporations and NGOs in which Partners take voluntary actions, individually and in combination, to reduce the tropical deforestation associated with the sourcing of commodities such as palm oil, soy, beef, paper & pulp, using a range of market, policy and communications approaches; and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED the National Wildlife Federation encourages the establishment and continued improvement of voluntary multi-stakeholder bodies, such as the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) and the Roundtable on Sustainable Biomaterials (RSB), to verify sustainable production of agricultural commodities that have been associated with deforestation.